MRS. VERNON TO LADY DE COURCY
Churchhill
My dear Mother,-‐-‐I return you Reginald's letter, and rejoice with all my
heart that my father is made easy by it: tell him so, with my
congratulations; but, between ourselves, I must own it has only convinced
ME of my brother's having no PRESENT intention of marrying Lady Susan, not
that he is in no danger of doing so three months hence. He gives a very
plausible account of her behaviour at Langford; I wish it may be true, but
his intelligence must come from herself, and I am less disposed to believe
it than to lament the degree of intimacy subsisting, between them implied
by the discussion of such a subject. I am sorry to have incurred his
displeasure, but can expect nothing better while he is so very eager in
Lady Susan's justification. He is very severe against me indeed, and yet I
hope I have not been hasty in my judgment of her. Poor woman! though I have
reasons enough for my dislike, I cannot help pitying her at present, as she
is in real distress, and with too much cause. She had this morning a letter
from the lady with whom she has placed her daughter, to request that Miss
Vernon might be immediately removed, as she had been detected in an attempt
to run away. Why, or whither she intended to go, does not appear; but, as
her situation seems to have been unexceptionable, it is a sad thing, and of
course highly distressing to Lady Susan. Frederica must be as much as
sixteen, and ought to know better; but from what her mother insinuates, I
am afraid she is a perverse girl. She has been sadly neglected, however,
and her mother ought to remember it. Mr. Vernon set off for London as soon
as she had determined what should be done. He is, if possible, to prevail
on Miss Summers to let Frederica continue with her; and if he cannot
succeed, to bring her to Churchhill for the present, till some other
situation can be found for her. Her ladyship is comforting herself
meanwhile by strolling along the shrubbery with Reginald, calling forth all
his tender feelings, I suppose, on this distressing occasion. She has been
talking a great deal about it to me. She talks vastly well; I am afraid of
being ungenerous, or I should say, TOO well to feel so very deeply; but I
will not look for her faults; she may be Reginald's wife! Heaven forbid it!
but why should I be quicker-‐sighted than anyone else? Mr. Vernon declares
that he never saw deeper distress than hers, on the receipt of the letter;
and is his judgment inferior to mine? She was very unwilling that
Frederica should be allowed to come to Churchhill, and justly enough, as
it seems a sort of reward to behaviour deserving very differently; but it
was impossible to take her anywhere else, and she is not to remain here
long. "It will be absolutely necessary," said she, "as you, my dear sister,
must be sensible, to treat my daughter with some severity while she is
here; a most painful necessity, but I will ENDEAVOUR to submit to it. I am
afraid I have often been too indulgent, but my poor Frederica's temper
could never bear opposition well: you must support and encourage me; you
must urge the necessity of reproof if you see me too lenient." All this
sounds very reasonable. Reginald is so incensed against the poor silly
girl. Surely it is not to Lady Susan's credit that he should be so bitter
against her daughter; his idea of her must be drawn from the mother's
description. Well, whatever may be his fate, we have the comfort of knowing
that we have done our utmost to save him. We must commit the event to a
higher power.
Yours ever, &c.,
CATHERINE VERNON.
XVl
LADY SUSAN TO MRS. JOHNSON
Churchhill.
Never, my dearest Alicia, was I so provoked in my life as by a letter
this morning from Miss Summers. That horrid girl of mine has been trying to
run away. I had not a notion of her being such a little devil before, she
seemed to have all the Vernon milkiness; but on receiving the letter in
which I declared my intention about Sir James, she actually attempted to
elope; at least, I cannot otherwise account for her doing it. She meant, I
suppose, to go to the Clarkes in Staffordshire, for she has no other
acquaintances. But she shall be punished, she shall have him. I have sent
Charles to town to make matters up if he can, for I do not by any means
want her here. If Miss Summers will not keep her, you must find me out
another school, unless we can get her married immediately. Miss S. writes
word that she could not get the young lady to assign any cause for her
extraordinary conduct, which confirms me in my own previous explanation of
it, Frederica is too shy, I think, and too much in awe of me to tell tales,
but if the mildness of her uncle should get anything out of her, I am not
afraid. I trust I shall be able to make my story as good as hers. If I am
vain of anything, it is of my eloquence. Consideration and esteem as
surely follow command of language as admiration waits on beauty, and here I
have opportunity enough for the exercise of my talent, as the chief of my
time is spent in conversation.
Reginald is never easy unless we are by ourselves, and when the weather
is tolerable, we pace the shrubbery for hours together. I like him on the
whole very well; he is clever and has a good deal to say, but he is
sometimes impertinent and troublesome. There is a sort of ridiculous
delicacy about him which requires the fullest explanation of whatever he
may have heard to my disadvantage, and is never satisfied till he thinks he
has ascertained the beginning and end of everything. This is one sort of
love, but I confess it does not particularly recommend itself to me. I
infinitely prefer the tender and liberal spirit of Mainwaring, which,
impressed with the deepest conviction of my merit, is satisfied that
whatever I do must be right; and look with a degree of contempt on the
inquisitive and doubtful fancies of that heart which seems always debating
on the reasonableness of its emotions. Mainwaring is indeed, beyond all
compare, superior to Reginald-‐-‐superior in everything but the power of
being with me! Poor fellow! he is much distracted by jealousy, which I am
not sorry for, as I know no better support of love. He has been teazing me
to allow of his coming into this country, and lodging somewhere near
INCOG.; but I forbade everything of the kind. Those women are inexcusable
who forget what is due to themselves, and the opinion of the world.
Yours ever,
S. VERNON.